Tuning device for stringed musical instruments



(No Model.)

IE. B. CONVERSE. TUNING DEVICE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

N0. 536,563. Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

4. a f i BY W mfg? ATTORNEY.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Onrrcn.

FRANK B. CONVERSE, OF NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-EIGHTHS TO FREDERICKR. BROOKE AND LOUIS AUGUSTUS ADAMS, OF BROOK- LYN, NE W YORK.

TUNING DEVICE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,563, dated March26, 189 5.

Application filed May 24, 1893. Serial No, 475,387. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. CONVERSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, county and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Tuning StringedInstruments, of which the following is a full and true description,enabling others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make thesame.

My invention relates to musical instrument tuning devices, andparticularly to such as the banjo, violin, guitar, and mandolin. Itsobject is to provide a sure and ready means of correctly tuning stringedinstruments by unskilled persons.

It consists of the device described in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a section of the finger board of abanjo with device in position. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of theadjustable arm.

In the drawings A is a truss having a vertical slot A and a horizontalslot A a, a, are the jaws of the supports of the bridge, one or both ofwhich may be adjusted to the frame of the instrument and held inposition by a clamp screw.

or. is a cushion lodged in the jaws of the bridge. One or both may bethus cushioned to assist in securing a firm hold by the same on theboard B and prevent scratching it.

Bis a section of the finger board of abanjo.

c, c, c, c, are frets.

D is a clamp screw upon which the jam nut D is operated.

E is an adjustable stop screw extending downward through slot A, inwhich it operates. It has a foot E. This foot has a shoe upon itpreferably of leather, or the like. Its function is to engage and pressdown upon the finger board any desired string, thus securing or stoppingit for the purpose of obtaining from it a certain pitch or sound.

E is a jam nut to hold screw E in any desired position along the slots Aand A The shank of this screw is preferably square at E to prevent itturningin the slot A when being adjusted.

F is an adjustable arm having an eyefat one end (see Fig. 2) throughwhich the screw E passes, and riding upon the jam nut E which holds itin such a manner that it may be adjusted to any desired degree and therefirmly retained. This arm F is bifurcated at the other end, one arm ofthe bifurcation F terminating in the ring guard F the other F having aneye running through it, through which is loosely roved the ring G. Thisring G is attached to the head of the vibrator H, which is preferablymade of cork or other light material, and with a knob II on its lowerend.

6, e, e, c, c, are the banjo strings.

The vibrator is strengthened by having a fine wire run through it oneend of which may form the ring G.

The illustrations and description has been purposely adapted to a banjo,but it is obvious that this is mere selection as the device is readilyajustable and appropriate to any form of a stringed instrument.

The operation of this device is as follows: Then it is desired to tune astringed instrument, as for example a banjo, the device is placed asshown in Fig. 1, so that the line of the slots in the same is parallelwith the seventh fret of the fingerboard. The jaws arc fitted againstthe edge of the finger board and the jam nut on the clamp screw D isturned untilthe device is firmly secured. The fourth string is nowbrought to a tension by means of the usual method, that is, by turningthe peg to which it is fastened until, while not being very taut it yetproduces an agreeable sound; or it maybe tuned to accord with a pitchpipe, or any desired sound of the piano. IVhen this string (the fourth)has been tuned, the stop screw is moved along the slot until it isdirectly over it, the fourth string, upon which string it is screweddown until its head firmly presses on the string, holding it down uponthe fingerboard. The vibrator is now adjusted so that it is suspended atright angles to and resting against the third string, the knob of thevibrator extending just below the level of the string. The peg of thisthird string is now turned gradually thus raising its pitch and as it isbeing turned the fourth string is struck near the bridge continuously.As the third string approaches the unison of the fourth string, (thepitch to be attained) a slight agitation of the vibrator will beobserved accompanied by a faint singing sound. By continuing to turn thepeg these will both increase in volume and intensity to a limit when thesinging tone will be plainly heard, and the agitation of the vibrator beso great that its excursions are only limited by the ring guard,throughwhich it is suspended, at which point the string has reached its properpitch and is in tune. If over tuned the singing and movement of thevibrator will gradually subside and a final break of the string isinevitable. For tuning other strings this operation is repeated by firstadjusting the truss at such frets, or positions, as may be necessary.

The device may be made of a combination of wood and metal, or wholly ofmetal.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A tuning device for stringed musical instruments comprising aclamping device, a stop engaging therewith and adapted to bear upon astring of an instrument and a vibrator supported by an arm, or clampsubstantially as specified.

2. A tuning device for stringed musicalinstruments, consisting of anadjustable bridge supporting an adjustable stop and a suspendedvibrator, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination in a tuning device for stringed musical instrumentsof the bridge A,

set screw D, jam nut D, jaws a, adjustable screw E, arm F and vibratorH, substantially, as herein shown and described.

4. The combination in a tuning device for stringed musical instrumentsof a bridge or truss adapted to be supported over the strings of saidinstrument, by resting upon the frame of the same, an adjustable armsupported by and attached to said bridge and a vertically and looselysustained vibrator suspended from said adjustable arm as herein shownand described.

5. The combination in a tuning device for stringed musical instruments,of a bridge or truss adapted to be sustained at either end and held inposition by one or more clamp screws upon the framework of saidinstrument, said bridge or truss having one or more slots extendingvertically and longitudinally through the same and a stop screw having ashoe upon its lower end, said screw being adjustable and holding inposition an adjustable arm to the end of which is loosely attached avibrator as herein shown and described.

6. In a tuning device for stringed musical through which the vibratorpasses as herein shown and described.

FRANK B. CONVERSE. Witnesses:

ALEX. E. SHIPLEY, THEODORE P. DONALDSON.

